Today, only two states--Wisconsin and Illinois--flatly refuse to allow people to carry guns for protection against criminals.

• Nebraska is the most recent RTC state. In April, Nebraska’s RTC law was signed by Gov. Dave Heineman (R). In March, Kansas’ Senate and House overrode Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ (D) veto of an RTC bill by votes of 30-10 and 91-33, respectively. Special thanks go to Nebraska Sen. Jeanne Combs and Kansas Sen. Phil Journey, Rep. Candy Ruff and Rep. Gary Hayzlett for their efforts on behalf of RTC.

Click on map for larger graphic.

• Other recent RTC initiatives. An RTC bill is being considered in Delaware. In January, the Wisconsin Senate voted 23-10 to override Gov. Jim Doyle’s (D) veto of RTC, but the Assembly fell two votes short, voting to override by 64-34. In January 2004, Ohio Gov. Bob Taft (R) signed RTC into law and New Mexico’s Supreme Court upheld an RTC law approved in 2003. Also adopting RTC in 2003 were Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri, the latter by overriding the veto of Gov. Bob Holden (D).

• Types of RTC laws. There are 40 RTC states: 36 have “shall issue” laws, which require that carry permits be issued to applicants who meet uniform standards established by the state legislature. Alabama, Connecticut and Iowa have fairly-administered “discretionary-issue” carry permit systems. Alaska and Vermont respect the right to carry without a permit. (Alaska adopted a no-permit-required law in 2003, but has a shall-issue provision for purposes of permit-reciprocity with other states.) Of the 10 non-RTC states, eight have restrictively-administered discretionary-issue systems; two prohibit carrying altogether.

• The right to self-defense is a fundamental right. The U.S. constitution, the constitutions of 44 states, common law, and the laws of all 50 states recognize the right to use arms in self-defense. RTC laws respect the right to self-defense by allowing individual citizens to carry firearms for protection.

• More RTC (and guns), less crime. The violent crime rate has decreased every year since 1991, to a 30-year low. (Meanwhile, 21 states adopted RTC and the number of guns rose by over 60 million.) And on average, RTC states have 21% lower total violent crime, 28% lower murder, 43% lower robbery, and 13% lower aggravated assault. Nine of the 10 states with the lowest violent crime and murder rates have RTC.1

• RTC and crime trends. Studying crime trends in every county in the U.S., John Lott and David Mustard found, “allowing citizens to carry concealed weapons deters violent crimes and it appears to produce no increase in accidental deaths. If those states which did not have Right to Carry concealed gun provisions had adopted them in 1992, approximately 1,570 murders; 4,177 rapes; and over 60,000 aggravated assaults would have been avoided yearly....[W]hen state concealed handgun laws went into effect in a county, murders fell by 8.5 percent, and rapes and aggravated assaults fell by 5 and 7 percent.”2

• False predictions. Dave Kopel observed, “Whenever a state legislature first considers a concealed-carry bill, opponents typically warn of horrible consequences....But within a year of passage, the issue usually drops off the news media’s radar screen, while gun-control advocates in the legislature conclude that the law wasn’t so bad after all.”3 A article related to Michigan’s RTC law said, “Concerns that permit holders would lose their tempers in traffic accidents have been unfounded. Worries about risks to police officers have also proved unfounded....National surveys of police show they support concealed handgun laws by a 3-1 margin....There is also not a single academic study that claims Right to Carry laws have increased state crime rates. The debate among academics has been over how large the benefits have been.”4

• RTC permit-holders are more law-abiding than the rest of the public. Florida’s experience is illustrative. Florida has issued more carry permits than any state (due to its large population and having had an RTC law since 1987). Also, Florida reports its permit statistics statewide (most RTC states do not) and is the only state that reports permit revocations due to gun crimes by permit-holders. To date, Florida has issued 1,136,496 permits, and revoked 157 (0.014%) due to gun crimes by permit-holders.

Background.

Before 1987, there were 10 RTC states. Indiana, Maine, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota and Washington had “shall issue” permit laws. Alabama and Connecticut had fairly-administered discretionary-issue systems. Georgia’s “shall issue” law was interpreted as discretionary in some jurisdictions. Vermont allowed carrying without a permit. Other states had restrictively-administered discretionary-issue carry permit systems or prohibited carrying altogether. These laws remain in effect.

In 1987, Florida enacted a “shall issue” law that has since become the model for other states. Anti-gun groups, politicians and news media interests predicted vigilante justice and “Wild West” shootouts on every corner. The predictions proved false. Through 1992, Florida’s murder rate decreased 23%, while the U.S. rate rose 9%. Thereafter, murder decreased both nationally and in Florida. Then-Florida Licensing Division Director, John Russi, noted that “Florida’s concealed weapon law has been very successful. All major law enforcement groups supported the original legislation....[S]ome of the opponents of concealed weapon legislation in 1987 now admit the program has not created the problems many predicted.”5 In a 1995 letter to state officials, Dept. of Law Enforcement Commissioner James T. Moore wrote, “From a law enforcement perspective, the licensing process has not resulted in problems.”

• 29 new RTC states since 1987. Of these, 21 previously prohibited carrying; nine (indicated with an asterisk, below) had restrictively-administered discretionary-issue systems. 1989: Oregon, Penna. (Phila. included in 1995), and West Virginia (in Georgia a judicial ruling enforced “shall issue” statewide); 1990: Idaho and Mississippi; 1991: Montana; 1994: Alaska, Arizona, Tennessee and Wyoming; 1995: Arkansas, Nevada*, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah* and Virginia*; 1996: Kentucky, Louisiana* and South Carolina*; 2001: Michigan*; 2003: Colorado*; Iowa* (by fairly administering its discretionary-issue system), New Mexico, Minnesota* and Missouri; 2004: